Gate-fastener.



PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

E. F. HOPP. GATE FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Patented. November 8, 1904.

P TENT FFICE.

ERNEST F. HOPP, OF WILLIS, MONTANA.

GATE-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 774,428, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed January 30,1904. Serial No. 191,845. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that'I, ERNEST F. Horr, a citizen of the United States, residing at I/Villis, in the county of Beaverhead and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Gate- Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of gate-fastener, adapted to hold the gate in a closed position; and the object of the invention is to provide a fastener which. can be used in connection with any and all forms of swinging gates.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate-fasteherwhich will operate irrespective of the horizontal position of the gate, so that the gate can be securely fastened, no matter whether it swings perfectly horizontal or cants upwardly or downwardly at the free end.

Gate-fasteners as ordinarily const'ructed that is, the ordinary latch and keeper require that the latch carried by the gate should register with the keeper arranged upon the gatepost, and if such parts do not register it is impossible to fasten the gate. These objections are entirely overcome by means of a'fastener constructed in accordance with my invention, which consists, essentially, in the employment of a pair of U-shaped keepers pivotally connected to the gate-post, the ends of said keepers being connected by means of rods pivotally connected to said keepers, said rods being provided with handles, whereby the said rods and keepers can be turned back against the gate-post for the purpose of releasing the 1 free end of the gate, and the invention consists also in providing stops upon the gate upon which the keepers rest, and by means of which said keepers are held in a horizontal or operative position.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the practical application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the fastener and aportion of the free end of the gate' Fig. 3 is a face view of the fastener in a raised or unlocked shown it used inconnection withithe ordinary construction of farm-gate, which is extensively used throughout the WVestern States, and in which the gate A swings within a frame B, the hinged post A having its upper end journaled in the upper beam of the frame and its lower end fixed in the ground. The uprights B serve as posts for the fence, and one of tnem also serves as a gate-post, and to which my improved form of fastener is connected, said fastener being adapted to operate upon the side batten A at the free end of the gate.

In constructing a fastener in accordance with my invention I employ two U-shaped keepers C, which are pivotally connected to the face of the gate-post by means of staples C, said keepers being arranged a suflicient distance apart so as to embrace the upper and lower portions of the gate when brought into engagement with the free end of said gate, said keepers being of such size as to embrace the end batten of the gate while held in a horizontal position. The ends of the parallel members of thekeepers are turned outwardly, as shown at O and these outwardly-turned ends are connected by means of parallel rods D, the ends of which are formed with eyes D, which fit over the ends 0 of the keepers and are held in position by means of washers D and keys D Intermediate their ends these rods arebent or twisted into loops E, which constitute the handles by means of which the fastener can be thrown into or out of operation, as it is obvious that by raising or lowering either one of the rods the entire device will be operated, and byhaving two rods each provided with loops it is obvious that the fastener can be operated from either side of the gate. When the keepers are held in a horizontal position, they will embrace the end of the batten of the gate and hold the gate fast, and in order to hold' the said keepersin this position I provide the gate with a rest-pin F, which passes through the end batten of the gate adjacent the lower end and upon which the lower keepers rest, and inasmuch as the lower keeper is held in a horizontal position the upper keeper will also be held in the same position.

Thus it will be seen that I provide a simple and efficient construction of gate-fastener, and it will be noted that the said fastener will operate so long as the end batten of the gate can be brought into such position as to be embraced by the U-shaped keepers. In order to unfasten the gate, it is only necessary to throw the fastener upwardly against the gatepost, which operation causes the keepers and rods to be moved clear of the end batten of the gate, and the said gate can then be swung in either direction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A gate-fastener comprising a pair of U- sliaped keepers, the ends of the parallel members being turned outwardly, and the parallel rods connected to the outwardly-turned ends of the keeper, as set forth.

2. A gate-fastener comprising a pair of U- shaped keepers, the ends of which are turned outwardly, a pair of parallel rods connected to said outwardly-turned ends, said rods being provided with loop-handles intermediate their ends, as set forth.

3. The combination with the gate and post, of the U-shaped keepers pivotally connected to the gate-post, the parallel rods pivotally connecting the ends of the keepers, and a restpin carried by the gate and upon which one of the keepers is adapted to rest, as set forth.

ERNES F. HOPP.

Witnesses:

M. A. Horr, E. L. R. WALLAou. 

